The prize isn’t a National Championship or the Larry O’Brien trophy, but rather some serious dough. One million dollars of dough, that is.

For the second annual “The Basketball Tournament” (TBT), a hoops tournament where anybody can play, SLAM is sponsoring a solid squad, one that will hopefully reach the the championship game that is televised August 2 on ESPN. Ninety-six teams, 5 on 5, two 18-minute halves, one champion—winner take all.

Our team is loaded with ex-NBA and overseas pro-ballers, all brought together by GM Ross Burns. Suiting up for SLAM this year is:

Burns, who anchored last year’s tournament’s runner-up with Team Barstool, has fielded a team largely made up of his former TBT team. Burns is a former walk-on guard on the UMass Minutemen men’s basketball team and was a part John Calipari’s Final Four team in 1996. He is currently a skills trainer for Pro Hoops, an organization that helps pro ballers work out in the offseason.

For Burns, the chance to organize a squad to play in a competitive tournament was a no-brainer, especially due to the fact that most of his players haven’t played with familiar faces in the crowd since their college days. “A lot of these guys don’t have a chance to play in front of their family and friends back in the states and here’s a platform to do that at a high level with high stakes,” Burns said. “Getting them to play in The Tournament isn’t the hardest sell, as opposed to playing for a summer league team—it’s more about obviously having a chance to play.” Burns helped headman Team Barstool last year, who went all the way to the ‘ship before losing to the Notre Dame Fighting Alumni.

This year he’s reloaded and added depth to his roster. “The strength in our team is our balance,” Burns said. “We have guys who play different styles. It’s the kind of versatility we have. If we need to go small, we can. If we need to bigger and match up, we can do that. I think that our versatility is key.”

The versatility starts with perhaps the team’s most decorated player, ex-UConn 2004 National Champion and former New Jersey Nets forward Josh Boone. Boone, a 1st round pick by the Nets in 2006, played four seasons in the NBA before bouncing around overseas, most recently with Bahrain’s Al-Manama. Boone, who hooped for Team Barstool last year, is ready for another shot at the cash prize.

“Most of these guys on the team are high level players,” Boone said. “They all know what to expect as far as what the intensity level is going to be—we’re gonna keep each other in check.” Boone believes it’s that versatile, free-flowing style of offense so prevalent overseas that will propel SLAM to the winner’s circle. “We were better when we were in the open court,” he said in reference to his team last summer. “We definitely had a team that flowed more when we could get in fast break.”

To quarterback that fast break, SLAM acquired floor generals Nate Brown, formerly of St. Peter’s University and the NBA D-League’s Austin Spurs, and Sundiata Gaines, an ex-Utah Jazz guard who currently plays for Italy’s Sidigas Avellino.

Brown, who played in TBT last year for the Peace Players, plans on bringing that experience of playing in the bracket last year to Team SLAM. “The fact that I played in it last year and I know what it takes to win makes me super excited,” Brown said. “Anytime you put this monetary stance on full blast, I think everybody is locked in on this type of winnings.”

Gaines, who you may remember as the D-League call-up who sunk the Cavaliers with a fade-away three at the buzzer in 2010, is ready to pounce on The Tournament’s college three-point line. “For the most part, I’m used to playing behind NBA three-point lines, so you know the college three is more of me doing a pull-up jump shot,” he said.

Gaines, a Queens native, will be feeding another NYC-native, Justin Burrell, in the post all tournament long . Burrell, a St. John’s alumnus, grew up in Manhattan and played his home games for the Red Storm on MSG’s hardwood. Burrell has played most notably for Cholet Basket in the French League and has been waiting for a shot to play back in his hometown. When Burns, a friend for over a decade, approached Burrell with the chance to play for SLAM, Burrell said it was a “no brainer.” To help him in the paint is fellow power forward Erik Murphy, who is showcasing his talents for the first time in The Tournament after sitting out last year.

Murphy, who joins Boone, Gaines, Donell Taylor (Washington Wizards) and Matt Walsh (Miami Heat) as the only SLAM players to ever see NBA action, can simply do it all. Murphy starred at Florida for four years and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft, but was later traded and unclaimed off waivers. Most recently playing for the Finnish National team, who he will rejoin in late August, Murphy has range that’ll the group will be relying upon. “I think we have a team that can really shoot the ball—that’s big in this tournament,” Murphy said. “You can’t come in with any expectations for yourself or come in with any kind of ego, but with a team-first mentality.”

Apart from repping SLAM, Murphy and the team are playing for something much more important: Pencils of Promise. PoP is an organization that helps children in underprivileged school systems receive a better education. By funding student scholarships, teacher support programs and health initiatives, PoP has teamed up with SLAM for this year’s TBT. If we do take it all, a portion of the $1 million dollar prize will be donated to PoP, an extra incentive that is not lost on Murphy. “If you win, a part of that money goes to the team’s charitable organization,” Murphy said. “Obviously the money is an added bonus, but you’re doing it for good reasons, too.”

SLAM TBT gear is available to anyone who’d like to rep the cause right here—and we’ll keep you updated with our team’s progress on SLAMonline over the next few weeks.

The Indiana Pacers have signed free agents Sam Young and Sundiata Gaines. Young, a 6-6 small forward from the University of Pittsburgh, has played three NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 6.6 points and 2 rebounds per game. Gaines went undrafted in 2008, and has played on four teams, averaging 5 points and 2 assists per game. Via InsideHoops.com: “The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have signed free agents Sam Young, Sundiata Gaines and Blake Ahearn to contracts. Until reported otherwise, we assume these are training camp signings, and these players must still fight to earn a regular season contract. We will update this page when new info arrives.”

The latest in the interminable Dwightmare is that this fiasco might be getting close to actually coming to an end. ESPN reports: “Sources said that the Nets and Magic are cautiously optimistic that the Cavaliers and Clippers will help them facilitate a four-way trade that lands [Dwight] Howard in Brooklyn. According to sources the Nets would receive Howard, Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark in the proposed deal. The Magic would get Brook Lopez, Luke Walton, Damion James, Shelden Williams, Armon Johnson and three first-round picks — two from the Nets and a lottery protected first from the Clippers. The Cavs would get Kris Humphries, Quentin Richardson, Sundiata Gaines, a first round pick from the Nets and three million in cash. The Clippers would receive MarShon Brooks. Further hurdles exist in that Lopez, Humphries, James, Williams, Johnson and Gaines would all have to agree to sign-and-trades to move them. Sources said that the complicated deal was getting ‘close.’ As part of their due diligence the Nets and Magic have exchanged medical information on Howard, who had back surgery, and Brook Lopez, who had foot surgery, sources said. Humphries agent, Dan Fegan, is still trying to convince Humphries to settle for a deal that will be guaranteed for just one year. Fegan also represents Howard. A couple of weeks ago, just before Orlando hired Rob Hennigan as its new general manager, Brooklyn offered a similar three-team trade proposal to the Cavs, sources said, only to be turned down by the Magic.”

More and more, it’s starting to feel as though it’s only a matter of time until Dwight Howard takes up residence in Brooklyn. The superstar center and a slew of other players (up to 10 so far) are set to change addresses, should the deal finally — mercifully — go through. Per Yahoo! Sports: “The tentacles of the proposed deal stretched across more than 10 players and three teams on Monday morning, with the Nets recruiting a fourth team to take on guard MarShon Brooks in exchange for an additional draft pick to send to Orlando. In the proposed deal, Howard, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark would be sent to Brooklyn, and the Magic would receive the Nets’ Brook Lopez, Damion James, Sheldon Williams, Cleveland’s Luke Walton and three future first-round picks, sources said. Cleveland would receive Orlando’s Quentin Richardson, Brooklyn’s Sundiata Gaines, Kris Humphries (on a one-year guaranteed deal), a first-round pick and $3 million from the Nets. Brooklyn also would send Brooks to a fourth team to get them an additional first-round pick to send to the Magic. Talks between the Magic and Nets remain fluid with some of the deal’s parts moving in and out based on different scenarios. One proposed hangup to a trade: Humphries would be against taking a one-year contract with the Cavs, instead seeking a four-year deal, a league source said. Despite Orlando’s desire to make Lakers center Andrew Bynum the centerpiece of a trade package, a significant stumbling block remains in Bynum’s reluctance to commit to a long-term contract if he’s raded to the Magic, sources said. Orlando doesn’t want to face the possibility of trading for Bynum only to lose him to free agency after the upcoming season. The appeal of the Lakers’ potential package for Bynum has also been diminished with Los Angeles sending its 2013 and 2015 first-round draft picks to the Phoenix Suns in the Steve Nash sign-and-trade deal. The NBA doesn’t allow teams to trade first-round picks in consecutive years, so the Lakers can’t offer Orlando their 2014 and 2016 first-round picks. The Magic are portraying patience in making a deal for Howard, but have a strong distaste for engaging in a prolonged process that drags into the summer. From new general manager Rob Hennigan through Orlando ownership, the Magic want to find the best possible deal for Howard soon and cut ties with him, sources said.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/proposed-dwight-howard-trade-reportedly-involves-10-players-3-teams/feed/46Sundiata Gaines Was Shot in the Neck at the Age of 4http://www.slamonline.com/nba/sundiata-gaines-was-shot-in-the-neck-at-the-age-of-4/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/sundiata-gaines-was-shot-in-the-neck-at-the-age-of-4/#commentsFri, 11 Nov 2011 14:25:21 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/online/?p=169329

Sundiata Gaines, a point guard for the New Jersey Nets (best known for having played a dramatic role in one random game as a Utah Jazz member), tells the NY Daily News about a harrowing experience when he was a toddler: “He’s 4 years old, decades from becoming a point guard on the Nets. He’s standing in front of a photocopy store, looking in the window while waiting for his brother to return from the supermarket. The family needs groceries, or maybe something else. Gaines can’t remember. A man with a suitcase walks up to the store. He’s an off duty police officer, an NYPD detective, but that’s not understood until later. The suitcase drops. ‘I knew something was wrong. I knew I was bleeding,’ Gaines says. ‘I didn’t want to touch it, but my mother was over there panicking. It kind of felt like a quick sting. I was kind of alert at the moment. I was calm. And then my mother started panicking, then I’m in a state of panic – what’s going on, what’s going on.’ Gaines was shot in the neck. The bullet went through the right side and out the back under his hairline. One inch in another direction and it would have ripped through his jugular vein, killing the toddler. Somehow the impact between the sidewalk and the suitcase triggered the gun inside, and apparently Gaines was standing in the wrong place. An ambulance arrived and the medics cut off his clothes. ‘I remember details like it was yesterday,’ he says. To the average person, a vivid preschool memory might be as innocuous as a climb up the monkey bars, or as special as the first time setting eyes on a sibling. For Gaines, it’s getting accidentally shot by a police officer blocks away from what would become the Barclays Center. It’s sitting in a hospital for two weeks, sometimes alone. It’s carrying around shock and silence for years, allowing it to ‘kind of become me as a person.’ Then it’s transforming the experience into inspiration. ‘It reminds me, you got a second chance at life, so you’re here for a reason,’ he says.”

Playing for the second straight night in New York City (albeit this time at Nike Pro City held at Baruch College, not Rucker Park), Kevin Durant scored 41 points, leading his team, The Franchise, to a 146-143 win. You’ve already seen pictures and his biggest dunk, but here’s a nice, concise highlight reel of Durant’s game last night.

Sundiata Gaines played well during two 10-day contracts, but DWill’s health is ultimately the factor behind this signing. From the Daily News: “The Nets signed point guard Sundiata Gaines for the rest of the season after successive 10-day contracts. Johnson said Williams’ injury was not a factor in that decision. … ‘He would have stayed anyway.'”

This past season, a record number of players were called up from the D-League. As if that wasn’t enough, a record number of people watched D-League ball. So it’s safe to say, there are some serious players in the D. And, thanks to YouTube, we have one post that has all of the top plays from all of the top players. If you’re one of the few who hasn’t peeped any D-League action, take a look.

You may have tuned-into last night’s Jazz/Cavs game and remembered why you love basketball — the breaking momentum swings, the cold-blooded baskets, the powerful confidence and swagger. No doubt this is a great game to watch. But, with this mix about D-League call up Sundiata Gaines, Maxamillion helps us remember why we love sports — how dreams truly can become reality and how hard work can pay off in big ways.

After LeBron was quiet through the first half, he –of course– went off in the fourth, scoring 20 points in the quarter, including back-to-back three-pointers that had him sauntering to the bench like he had the world and the win underwraps.

This wasn’t so as the Cavs allowed the Jazz a sliver of light that Gaines turned into a whole lot of sunshine. Sundiata Gaines, who was called up during the D-League showcase in Boise to a 10-day contract, hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. It was the first 3-pointer of his five-game NBA career and was his third make in three attempts in his nine minutes of playing time.

I think my favorite quote came from Jerry Sloan who said, “I found myself trying to jump.” when asked how excited he was to see the rookie hit the shot.

It’s crazy to think of how Bron owned that fourth quarter and the game until missed free throws down the stretch by his teammates allowed a unknown to steal the shine.

Sometimes, everything works out in a way you could never ever imagine, yet you know instantly it’s absolutely right. This moment was one of those times.

I’m so damn happy!

Now, about Rose. He looked good. Noah looked good. Salmons made me continue to long for Ben Gordon back in a Bulls uni and the C’s looked tired on the second night of a back-to-back, although I thought they’d be rested, considering that they had blown out the Nets in the first Q on Wednesday night.

Seriously though, the Bulls won 96-83 and that’s all you need to know about this one. No KG or Sheed for the C’s, a great game Noah, Rose looks to be getting back and Perk was a beast in the loss.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-d-league-dreams/feed/104SLAMonlineNBA D-League Showcase in Full Swinghttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/nba-d-league-showcase-in-full-swing/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/nba-d-league-showcase-in-full-swing/#commentsWed, 06 Jan 2010 21:21:35 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/online/?p=58233Prospects looking to get that one shot.

The NBA D-League Showcase is turning out to be quite a success already as dreams are coming true in Boise, Idaho. This year the national media, NBA General Managers and executives, and even a good amount of international teams are out in full force scouting for talent at the event. Boston’s Danny Ainge, Denver’s Mark Warkentein, Dallas’ Donnie Nelson are among the 65-70 NBA personnel credentialed at the showcase. Representatives from teams in Italy and Spain among others are also present. New York City native Sundiata Gaines became the fourth D-League player to be called up to play in the NBA this season after an offer from the Utah Jazz on Tuesday to a 10-day contract pending results from Wednesday’s physical. Other D-Leaguers that have been impressive thus far in hopes of catching a team’s attention are former Rice standout Morris Almond (31 points and 8 rebounds in day 1), former East Carolina guard Frank Robinson, former St. Mary’s forward Diamon Simpson, and former Kansas guard Billy Thomas, among many others.

Already this season, Mike Harris of the Rio Grande Vipers, Anthony Tolliver of the Idaho Stampede, and Chris Hunter of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants received call-ups from the Rockets, Trail Balzers and Warriors respectively (although Tolliver is curently back with the Stapede). DraftExpress has a breakdown of all the action from day one and two. The D-League’s official site has video reaction from Gaines call-up by the Jazz, as well as extensive coverage on the event and prospects to keep as close eye on.